Close Menu
    Trending
    Subscribe
    Sports

    Ryan Blaney sounds alarm on Tyler Reddick’s massive lead amid a ‘dogfight’ in NASCAR’s new championship format

    digitalixcomm@gmail.comBy No Comments3 Mins Read0 Views


    Ryan Blaney has expressed strong support for NASCAR’s new points format, noting that it has heightened the intensity of on-track battles and increased the pressure on teams to perform flawlessly. Despite the dominance of Tyler Reddick, the Penske star believes the system is achieving its goal of making every point matter.

    Through 12 races, Tyler Reddick and the 23XI Racing team have built a significant lead, sitting 129 points ahead of second-place Denny Hamlin and 162 points ahead of the No. 12 driver. Blaney views the primary question of the regular season as whether any driver can “eat into Reddick’s lead” over the remaining races.

    “Can anybody get there?” Ryan Blaney said via Racer.com. “We’ve got over half the regular season to get there, and maybe it’s possible, maybe not. Then you have all these really close battles. At the top, there are some gaps, but then you get like fifth on back, and it’s a dogfight, and around that cutline is a dogfight.”

    Ryan Blaney (12) and Tyler Reddick (45) - NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Championship - Source: Imagn
    Ryan Blaney (12) and Tyler Reddick (45) – NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Championship – Source: Imagn

    Blaney noted that the new system requires teams to be more methodical and careful, as mistakes or mechanical failures are now more punishing in the standings.

    Moreover, the 2023 NASCAR champions believe the Chase format is doing exactly what it was designed to do: making every lap and every position a high-stakes calculation.

    Ryan Blaney tells Dale Earnhardt Jr. the biggest threats for 2026 NASCAR season

    Among a mix of dominant drivers this 2026 NASCAR season like Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott, the Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney believes he is right there on the level to pose as a threat for the Championship title.

    Speaking with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Blaney said:

    “You’re starting to see who is the best, right? Obviously, you got the 45 (Tyler Reddick), the 11 (Denny Hamlin), the 9 (Chase Elliott) is really starting to shine. I think we’re right there. So there’s like five to seven of us that are kind of in this pack together.”

    Moreover, the Ford driver emphasized how the Hendrick drivers will sooner rather than later become top contenders for the 2027 title.

    The No. 12 team and Ryan Blaney will next return to action for the NASCAR All-Star race on Sunday, May, 17 at Dover Motor Speedway.